English

Noun

poor-john ‎(plural poor-johns)

1. A small European fish, similar to the cod, but of inferior quality.
   • Sir J. Harrington

     Poor-john and apple pies are all our fare.

2. Salted and dried hake.
   • 1610, The Tempest, by Shakespeare, act 2 scene 2

     What have we here? a man or a fish? dead or / alive? A fish: he smells like a fish: a very ancient and / fish-like smell; a kind of not of the newest Poor-John.

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